Boys basketball: Mesa hangs on against Uni

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - Costa Mesa High’s boys basketball team’s performance

Wednesday against visiting University was downright gutsy in a 75-68 win.

The Mustangs now improve to 2-0 in the Pacific Coast League and remained

tied for first with Laguna Beach, its next opponent.

“We’ll enjoy the 2-0 start today,” Costa Mesa Coach Bob Serven said.

“Then we’ll go back to work and prepare for Laguna Beach.

“We might make some mistakes, but we find a way to win. These guys battle

and they give everything they have.”

The Mustangs, ranked No. 5 in CIF Southern Section Division III-AA,

needed the effort to hand defending PCL co-champion Trojans (11-7, 0-1)

their fifth loss in seven games. Mesa is now two wins shy of the single

season school record.

“We gained a lot of people’s respect,” Costa Mesa forward Nate Jones

said. He led the Mustangs with 24 points.

Behind three three-pointers from Ryan Naff, the Mustangs led at halftime,

42-38. The lead stayed within that range until the final minutes. Mesa

then got its biggest scare with 49 seconds left, when Ryan Zinchefsky

threw up a prayer behind the three-point line and got fouled.

But Zinchefsky missed his ensuing free throw. The Mustangs then hit

8-of-10 free throws at the end to clinch the game. Dave Weir got six of

those eight points, and got a crucial steal with 12 seconds left to

squelch a Uni miracle.

Weir, starting his third game in a row, was also key on defense.

“We had to stop their three-point shooters,” Mesa guard Rick Hatsushi,

who scored 13 and had seven assists, said, “and Weir stopped (Uni’s Andy)

Lawrence from hitting threes.”

Lawrence only hit two threes all night, and Uni never led in the second

half.

“We tightened the screws on our defense in the second half,” Serven said.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Costa Mesa 75, University 68

Score by Quarters

University 21 17 11 19 - 68

Costa Mesa 20 22 14 19 - 75

University - Gavey 17, Zinchefsky 16, Lawrence 13, Dale 9, Tran 4,

Christoph 3, Elsherbiay 6, Feistel 0, Newsome 0.

3-pt. goals - Gavey 5, Zinchefsky 3, Lawrence 2, Christoph 1.

Fouled out - Dale.

Technicals - None.

Costa Mesa - Jones 24, Naff 13, Hatsushi 13, Weir 9, Ferryman 6, Payne 2,

Whittaker 3, Conte 2.

3-pt. goals - Naff 3, Jones 2, Whittaker 1.

Fouled out - Hatsushi.

Technicals - None.